Axcraft

Michael Baryshnikov написал(а) к All в Nov 18 11:05:09 по местному времени:

Нello All!

Залит Axcraft/(2001)Dancing_MadlyBackwards

Единственный альбом малоизвестной группы из Калифорнии. Группа развалилась ещё до выхода альбома, по идейным соображениям. Существует всего 500 дисков промо-партии.
Довольно интересный, хотя и "сыроватый", "американский" прог. Послушать можно.
Оставлено за редкость.

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AXCRAFT was formed in 1974 by Jim Mc Lellan in Los Angeles, CA (USA). The bands major influences were groups like YES, PINK FLOYD and GENESIS. They did enough tracks for one album before outside interferences broke up the original band. Lead singer and founder of the group was told he did not fit in with Ken Scott after Scott took over management of the group. Scott was an engineer on the BEATLES "White Album", and also enginerred albums for David Bowie, SUPERTRAMP, Jeff Beck etc. Mc Lellan left L.A. after the realization that he could not sway the group to continue on the musical path they had already begun. The group has had one cd released entitled "Dancing Madly Backwards", which features the original band and Mc Lellan's vocals. The rest of the members were Gary Gossett (drummer), Mike Carroll (bass), Danny Stickler (guitar), Jim Mc Lellan (vocals & percussion). The album has sold several thousands of copies worldwide but the group has yet to receive any royalties.

(c) Jim Mc Lellan, PA
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(c) Review by ClemofNazareth, PA

This is actually a pretty bland album, and the few reviews I’ve read all seem to come either from former members of the band, family members, or other close friends. Axcraft clearly never made much of an inroad to the music community outside their immediate area.

This is also their only album as far as I know, and I don’t believe the band was in existence for very long either. There is very little information to be found about these guys, which leads me to believe they were a local band that made whatever living they managed by playing small venues and as an opening act.

The keyboards are not complex, but they are played in a typical seventies American style - i.e., fast, spirited, and pretty much in synch with the electric guitars. The drum work is decent at best, and the lyrics are mostly light and vaguely spacey in nature and theme.

There are some decent piano passages, notably at the beginning of “Astral Love” and a little bit on the title track. Otherwise this is a mediocre album, and pretty forgettable in the spectrum of seventies music.

There are a couple live tracks at the end that actually sound like they are open-air recordings, not even from the soundboard. I’m not sure if this is accurate, but in any case the recording quality is quite muddled and a definite distraction from the music.

I don’t know much about these guys, and frankly haven’t spent much time trying to find out much. Akarma released this on CD for some reason, but you probably won’t find it except by accident. Or if you make a real attempt to locate it, but don’t bother.
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Enjoy!
WBR, Michael Baryshnikov.

--- wfido